STONINGTON — For Maia Aprahamian, Judith Jerome and Linda Nelson, what started out as a casual lunch four years ago has turned into something much bigger.

While munching on some sandwiches at Lily’s Cafe, Aprahamian, a longtime musical composer, suggested creating an opera based on Robert McCloskey’s children’s book, “Burt Dow, Deep Water Man.”

Nelson, the executive director of Opera House Arts, and Jerome, the artistic director, immediately latched onto the idea and commissioned the work.

Now, after three years of planning and fine-tuning the production, the Opera House will premiere the original opera of the classic Maine children’s book starting July 1.

“It’s about a man from here, which really makes it relevant to the community,” Nelson said. “People knew him, and I think it’s great the way it captures the Downeast lifestyle.”

The colorful tale is based on a real-life fisherman named Burt Dow who lived on the coast of Maine, as did the author of “Burt Dow, Deep Water Man.”

McCloskey, an award-winning author and illustrator, made Scott Island, just off Little Deer Isle, his summer home up until his death in 2003.

His final children’s book involves a fishing adventure Burt Dow takes with his pet, the Giggling Gull in his leaky, patchwork boat, the Tidley-Idley.

When a storm blows in endangering the fisherman and his friend, the pair takes refuge in the belly of a whale till the squall passes.

After a while, Dow fears the whale may forget to open its mouth and let them out again, so he uses leftover paint from the bottom of his boat and splashes it on the inside of the whale’s stomach to cause indigestion.

Soon, the whale’s belly begins to shake. With a resounding burp, Dow and his gull are spit back out into the ocean.

Aprahamian, whose uncle used to deliver ice to McCloskey’s house, said the book’s intricate detail and compelling characters are what make it appropriate for opera.

“It’s a tremendously moving and dramatic story,” Aprahamian said in a phone interview from her California home. “The characters are beyond belief. It expresses itself wonderfully. Even the ocean has its own character.”

It took a year-and-a-half for Aprahamian to compose the musical score for the production. She worked with schoolchildren from Deer Isle and Brooklin for a week last spring and put the music through a workshop run-through at the Opera House last summer.

After the music received an overwhelmingly positive response, Nelson and Jerome began the casting process.

“This is one of the few performances that combines professional actors with community members,” Nelson said.

Joan Jubett from Brooklyn, N.Y., is directing the production. Jubett has worked with the Opera House in the past and is excited to tell the story of “Burt Dow.”

“When I read this [the book] I was amazed at the illustrations,” said Jubett. “The color is great, the composition of each page is fascinating and there really is this great relationship between man and nature.”

Daniel Noel, a professional actor from Portland, plays Burt Dow.

“I think it’s great,” Noel said about working with community members. “You can learn as much from them as they can from you.”

As for playing Burt Dow, a man who many people in the community knew, that’s a bit more of a challenge.

“It’s intimidating, it really is,” said the 56-year old Noel. “I just want to do him justice. I’ve been working on the Downeast accent.”

Four professional singers from New York join Noel on stage to play a variety of roles.

Locally, Suzanne Ruch, a retired school principal who lives in Deer Isle, is set to perform the role of Burt’s sister, Lela.

Riley Getto, who just finished the fifth grade at Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School, will play the Giggling Gull.

Up to 21 people at a time will pack the Opera House’s tiny stage, double the number of a usual production. They’ll also have to get a whale onto the stage.

“I think a lot of people are really looking forward to this,” said Jubett. “I think it’s really important to tell the stories that people want to see.”

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